josh susserHow to use the #ActuallyAutistic hashtag without causing confusion: Use it like a signature, not an adjective.
Confusing:
> My #ActuallyAutistic friend is so weird but we always get along.
Clear:
> My autistic friend is so weird but we always get along. #ActuallyAutistic
In the Confusing example, the reader has to understand that the AA hashtag is meant to convey that both the friend and the author of the post are autistic. That's a lot to put on one hashtag, and easy for a reader to misinterpret. I find that separating the two meanings into separate words/hashtags avoids that common pitfall.
The confusion comes from how the AA tag often gets misused to mean someone has an official diagnosis, as opposed to those who are self-dxed. Because that happens, the meaning can be ambigous and can't be inferred without additional context.
The proper use of #ActuallyAutistic: It means the author of the post is autistic. It's not meant to gatekeep autism, so the "actually" is not based on whether they have an official diagnosis. The hashtag is for anyone who identifies as autistic – Self-dxed autists and people exploring the idea they might be autistic are explicitly welcome to use it.
I know, this is getting ridiculous, the hoops we have to jump through to have clear communication. I'd love a better solution than "everyone should know how to follow all these obscure rules." I know people would love a better hashtag that's less prone to confusion - I certainly would. But until then, we muddle on.
Note: If you're allistic (non-autistic) and want to reach out to autistic folk, you can use the AskingAutistics hashtag. Lots of us read that and will see it and will respond better than if you misuse ActuallyAutistic, even if you think you have a good reason to.
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